Learning to Fly
by A Moonless Sky
Summary: The life of a ninja is never easy. Suzume Namikaze thought she knew that already. She couldn't have been more wrong. Kakashi/OC
1. Chapter 1

A breeze gently brushed past a tanned girl, ruffling her auburn locks and causing chills to race up her spine. Said girl let out a sigh of contentment, relishing the feel of the cool air against her warm skin. It was moments like this that the girl loved the most; no missions, no worries, just her and the clear blue sky, completely at peace.

Though she would like nothing more than to lie out in the sun until it dips below the horizon, it was a Wednesday. So with a heavy sigh at having to move from her comfortable position laid out upon the smooth stone of Hokage Mountain, she slowly got to her feet. With a small calculation using the position of the sun, it was easy enough for her to estimate the time. Suzume had about twenty minutes to meet her brother for their weekly lunch date, more than enough time.

Yawning, she walked to the edge of the monument and took in the sight of the village below her. The view was one of Suzume's favorites. She truly believed Kohana to be beautiful. She had traveled to other villages, but none held a candle to her own. Looking down at the village from her vantage point, a person can overlook most, if not all, of the village. The knowledge that thousands of people were down there completely oblivious to her; simply living out their own individual lives was a humbling thought.

After doing a few quick stretches, met with the sound of a few joints popping and bones cracking, Suzume did a sequence of hand signs. Small balls of wind formed beneath her feet, elevating her about an inch off of the ground. Without any further delay, the girl simply stepped off the side of the mountain. The first few times Suzume simply dropped off the side of the mountain, she alarmed quite a few civilians. By nw, as soon as people see her, they identify her auburn locks and go about their business.

The freefall down was another reason why Suzume was constantly found atop the mountain. It was exhilarating. Her hair whipped past her face and she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her at the feeling of just...falling. However, the fall was over much too soon for liking. As it always was. The balls of wind beneath her feet lessen the impact of her fall and she dispelled the jutsu, landing lightly on the ground.

"That sure was an entrance." A laid back voice commented lightly. Suzume looked up with a smile, locking eyes with her long time best friend, Asuma Sarutobi.

"Girls gotta know how to keep all eyes on her." Suzume replied cheekily with a playful wink, causing him to chuckle.

"Where are you off to?" He questioned as she fell into step with him, matching his slow, laid-back pace.

"To meet my brother for ramen of course." Their conversation stopped there. One of the reasons the pair was such good friends was that words weren't needed between them; they simply enjoyed each other's company.

"See you later Suzu-chan." Asuma said as the pair reached the small ramen shop, and she gave a lazy wave in response.

"I already ordered for you." Minato said as Suzume ducked beneath the streamers. A steaming bowl of beef ramen awaited the eager girl and she all but devoured it to her brother's amusement. Most people were skeptical when first told the olive-skillen blonde hair blue eyed man was brother to the tan-skinned auburn hair brown eyes girl. The reason for the discrepancy in appearance between them being that, no, they weren't siblings, by blood anyway. No one with any sense dared bring up that trivial fact though, as the siblings didn't take it kindly.

Suzume was aware of the fact of course. She knew her parents weren't really her parents. She knew Minato wasn't really her brother. However, Minato had been there as long as she could remember. Their parents might not have birthed her, but they raised her since she was an infant. Not having the same blood didn't mean a things to them. Suzume was as much as a Namikaze as Minato.

Once her stomach was filled, Ichiraku never failed to hit the spot, a mischievous smile crept on to Suzume's face. Her latest source of amusement had been teasing her newlywed brother, and amusing it certainly was.

"So," She started slyly, feeling Minato tense up at her tone of voice. "When am I going to be an aunt? I'm impatient!"

The reaction was better than she could have hoped. Minato, who was in the middle of a bite of ramen, unceremoniously spit out the food. His face turned the same shade of red as his new bride's hair and Suzume erupted into a boisterous laugh.

"That's none of your business!" He sputtered, face still tinted red in embarrassment. The young girl behind the counter, Ayame, couldn't help but laugh either, albeit she covered her face with her hand.

"Well you're not getting any younger!" The look on Minato's face was priceless. Suzume's muscles tensed in anticipation for what she knew was coming.

"You're going to pay for that comment!" Her brother exclaimed, causing her face to light up in excitement.

Minato reached out to grab Suzume, but it was exactly what she had been expecting. She quickly danced out of reach, having already been tensed to spring. Her brother may have been the fastest ninja in Konoha, perhaps even the world, but Suzume knew him better than she knew herself, which gave her an advantage. Could she outrun him? Not in this lifetime. Could she outmaneuver him? Possibly, probably not. Could she dance out of his reach for an infuriating amount of time. That she was sure of.

"Catch me if ya can!" She teased, sticking out her tongue cheekily before once again dancing out of his grasp and taking off. With a few quick hand signs, Suzume activated her newly developed jutsu. It was nothing extreme by any means, and would definitely be classified as D-rank if official. She concentrated her wind chakra through her body, pointedly her legs and feet, making her steps completely undetectable and giving her a speed boost.

"It's on." A disembodied voice said, followed by a rush of wind as her brother flew past her. Minato appeared a few steps in front of her, arms crossed and a triumphant look on his face. The added chakra in her feet made it easy for her to launch herself over her unsuspecting brother and keep running the second her feet touched the ground.

The tactician part of her brain raced for a way to keep evading her brother. Suzume was no Nara, not by a long shot, but she was a quick thinker. However, she was drawing a blank on any possible plan. A rush of wind flies past her against and she's met with the sight of her brother standing smugly in front of her. She didn't stop running. The idea hit her and she reacted immediately. Her body hit the ground hard, dirt and rocked scraped her exposed arms and she slid between her brother's legs, but it didn't face her. The dumbfounded look on his face as he turned was well worth it.

Of course, the stunt didn't keep him immobilized for long and Suzume felt his chakra signature approaching fast. The villagers hardly spared the duo a second glance as they weaved in between them, careful not to disturb them and if a second glance was spared, well, it was a fond one. Suzume and Minato were well loved throughout the village, and watching the two interact was always a source of heartwarming amusement.

A hand finally clamped down on Suzume's arm, stopping her mad dash, and she laughed as she was pulled to her brother's chest. Minato's deeper laugh joined hers and they stayed like that for a few blissful moments. Once the siblings collected themselves, Suzume swung herself onto her brother's back, wrapping her arms around his neck, legs around his waist, and resting her chin on his shoulder with a happy sigh.

"I'll beat ya one of these days; just wait until I master that Flying Thunder God jutsu of yours." Suzume stated matter-of-factly. Her brother's jutsu was far from easy to learn, her months of practicing hadn't led to much. He was still leagues better than her at it, which was expected. Honestly, if she was being honest with herself, Suzume doubted she could ever truly master the technique.

"I'm sure you will my little bird." Minato replied affectionately, reaching back to pat her on the head.

The rest of the walk to Suzume's apartment was done in relative silence, the siblings merely enjoying each other's company. It wasn't often they got to see each other lately, Minato having his own squad and Suzume being away on missions most of the time.

"I wish you'd come live with me and Kushina. She worries about you." Minato said as offhandedly as possible. Her living arrangement had become quite a sore topic between the siblings. As soon as Minato and Kushina tied the knot, Suzume moved out. It didn't have anything to do with not wanting to live with her brother and his wife, who she had actually become quite close to, she just wanted them to have their privacy. It wasn't as if Suzume was a helpless child, she was more than capable of living independently.

"Live with my newlywed brother and his wife? No thanks." She joked and laughed when Minato's face lit up at her implication. "Besides, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, I think my Jounin rank speaks for itself. I can handle paying rent and buying groceries."

"You may be a Jounin but you're still my little sister, I have a right to worry about you." Minato replied with a sigh before conceding. "But you're right. I know I can't baby you forever, as much as I'd be perfectly content to do so."

"Well if you hurry up and have a kid you can baby it all you'd like." Suzume pointed out and laughed as her brother groaned.

"You're horrible." He muttered dejectedly.

"That's why you love me!" She chirped before resting her head on his shoulder again.


	2. Chapter 2

Suzume awoke to a burning sensation on her right shoulder and groaned. She tapped the spiral tattoo twice in acknowledgement and swung her legs off the side of her bed. The lack of sunlight streaming through her curtains wasn't promising and one glance at the clock on her nightstand told her it was four in the morning. She had only managed an hour of sleep last night, a marked improvement if she was being honestly.

"Another mission already." She muttered to herself, deactivating the traps on her dresser and pulling out her Anbu blacks. The last few weeks she wore those more than civilian clothes. Suzume knew a summons from the Hokage could only mean one things, a mission. She'd only gotten back from an S-rank the day before and he was sending her team off again. Not that she could be mad at the old man, it wasn't his fault they were on the brink of war and discrete missions needed to be carried out. If anything, Suzume comforted herself with the fact that she was making a lot of money she could use to spoil her future niece/nephew.

Opening the top drawer of her dresser, she deactivated half a dozen more traps before getting to her collection of weapons. After strategically placing more than a dozen weapons, poisons, and scrolls around her body, she grabbed the last necessary item from the drawer. Her mask.

All masks were unique, at least the smallest bit, even if the animal was the same. Members were allowed to pick their own masks, and Suzume took a great deal of amusement in picking a sparrow, her namesake. Usually people are discouraged from picking something that could be used to identify them, and she exploited the fact. No one would have thought she was stupid enough to pick something so identifiable. It was like reverse psychology.

After placing her mask on her face and grabbing her mission pack (always stocked and ready to go), she was out of the door.

She was the first to arrive in the Hokage's office, bent on one knee in respect. Her two teammates followed not long after.

"Team Sparrow," The Third Hokage began, "As you are aware, we are on the verge of the Third Shinobi War. Skirmishes are beginning to break out along the borders of Fire Country. As of late, we've been informed of an especially hostile group of Iwagakure ninja attacking many of our border towns. I do not wish to launch a full scale attack against this nation, but these attacks cannot be ignored. Your mission objective is to eliminate these ninja swiftly and silently. Do you accept?"

Hearing the mission objective, Suzume was all too aware of why her team was chosen for the assignment. Stealth and assassination missions were their speciality, it was their classification. Together, they had completed dozens of assassinations. They were a well-oiled killing machine when together.

"Of course Hokage-sama." Suzume responded regardless of the fact that the question wasn't one she could have denied. Standing, she collected the mission scroll from the man. "We'll depart at once."

Hiruzen nodded in acknowledgement and Suzume was gone, her two teammates following her. She knew they would both have what was needed for the mission already, so they wasted no time before leaving the village. While on the move, she looked over the scroll before going over the mission plan. It would take a while to get the borders of Fire Country, they had no time to lose.

"We'll move until we make it to one of the towns that has been hit. It will likely be dusk when we arrive so we'll set up base a mile before the town. In the morning we'll collect as much intel regarding the ninja and their current whereabouts as possible from the village. If all goes to plan we'll make our attack that night. I want us in and out before they even know we're there."

"No problem Sparrow!" A cheery voice called from behind the bunny mask to Suzume's right. Kai Hashimoto, a few years Suzume's senior. He excelled at medical ninjutsu and taijutsu, ironically enough, genjutsu was his weak point.

"Affirmative." A borderline monotone voice responded from behind the cat mask to Suzume's right. The infamous Uchiha prodigy himself, Itachi Uchiha. His mastery of the Sharingan was an invaluable asset, naturally his genjutsu abilities were off the charts, his ninjutsu rivaled Suzume's, and he almost outclassed her in taijutsu.

"Let's get this things over with fast." Suzume said less than enthusiastically as she kicked off from another branch.

…

The team of ninja had been running steadily for a few hours in their usual formation; Itachi first, scouting ahead with the help of his Sharingan, Kai in the middle since he was the most vulnerable if a long range attack was launched, taijutsu being his strong point, and Suzume bringing up the rear. Kai was also the most adept in medical ninjutsu, so it served Itachi and Suzume's best interest to keep him safe.

Finally, the team reached once of the attacked towns and set found a suitable location to rest for an hour or so. Itachi and Kai set up camp while Suzume got started on setting up her personal detection system along the perimeter of the area. The same security system she used around her own apartment.

Utilizing her lightning nature chakra, Suzume created thin, practically unnoticeable strong of electric current. Due to its weak pulse, it went unnoticed most of the time even to the trained eye. When an intruder passed through one of the strings, they may have been oblivious, but Suzume was alerted immediately by a shock to the correlating fingertip. It was incredibly helpful and put many of her teammates at ease when they slept.

"Alright," The captain started upon returning to her teammates. "We'll rest for an hour. After, we split up and collect intel on these ninja and find their base of operations. We'll meet back here at twenty-one hundred hours and under the cover of night, Itachi and I will infiltrate and neutralize them. Kai will stay outside, watching the perimeter and neutralizing and outgoing and incoming threats. We'll use the usual signal if one of us is in need of assistance."

Itachi nodded in understanding and Kai gave a cheery 'alright!'. To the tee that how most of their missions together went. They separate to collect intel, meet back at their base, exchange info, and while Itachi and Suzume infiltrated, Kai stayed outside of the battle for the most part. If any member was in need of assistance, different bird called meant different things.

One meant backup was needed, one meant medical attention was needed, one meant regroup immediately, they even had one for 'abandon and continue mission', which thankfully they'd never had to use. It was just there as a contingency plan. If worst came to worse, the mission was more important of the life of one teammate. The sentiment rang true for all ninja, even moreso for Anbu.

Itachi took the first watch shift as the mood reached its peak. Kai immediately fell asleep, snuggled onto the hard ground, but Suzume couldn't sleep on the ground, especially on missions.

Her friends and comrades teased her mercilessly about it, but the only place she ever felt comfortable during missions was in a tree. Being off the ground made her feel more at ease, safer. That coupled with the fact that her name literally meant 'sparrow' gave everyone plenty of ammunition.

"I'll take the next shift." Suzume said to Itachi who simply nodded once in response. A few minutes later and she was atop the branch that gave her the best vantage point t monitor her surroundings.

Satisfied with her position, Suzume closed her eyes. However, she didn't sleep, she never did. The kunoichi was a full-fledged insomniac. Being a ninja didn't leave a person with the clearest of consciences, especially one of her caliber. Ever since she made her first kill as a chuunin at the tender age of six, well, her dreams hadn't been kind. Currently, she found it easier to just sleep as little as possible.

"Go to sleep." A monotonous voice said, the tone bordering a command. Opening her eyes, Suzume was met with a pair of red Sharingan eyes staring at her, Itachi having perched himself on the same branch as her. She had to admit, the eyes were a bit unnerving, she could understand how people were a bit freaked out by them. But she knew the boy that the eyes belonged to. For the killing machine he was, Itachi was one of the sweetest people she knew.

"When do I ever sleep?" She shot back. "Besides, I'm not only older than you, but last I checked _I_ was the captain of this mission. "You're out of line Cat."

"As our captain you should be in top condition for the mission. Being sleep deprived isn't top condition." Itachi pointed out and the playfulness in the comment caused Suzume to grin behind her mask.

"It's a lost cause and you know it. I'll sleep when I'm in my own bed tomorrow night." A lies and the Uchiha knew it, but didn't argue.

"You're sleeping habits aren't healthy." Itachi said seriously and she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for the input _mother_ , but funnily enough, this Anbu captain can take care of herself." Suzume replied with a quiet laugh. "I swear you and my brother are mother hens."

Itachi didn't reply, but she could see the laughter in his eyes before he left her in peace.

The Uchiha, despite the fact that Suzume was two years his senior, treated her like a little sister. The pair had known each other for less than a year, meeting when he joined Anbu and was assigned to her team. His solemn demeanor tended to balance out Suzume's cheerful one well.

With a small sigh she looked up at the sky. The stars were out, shining bright and spread out across the sky, accenting the crescent moon. The night sky had always been a comfort to Suzume. Being a ninja, she didn't have the comfort of constants in her life. She knew she could die any day, the people she loved could die any day, but the stars and moon would always be there when the sun went down. It was a comforting thought.

 _Hoo Hoo._

Turning around, Suzume noticed an owl perched on a branch nearby. How it managed to get so close to her without tripping any of her alarms put her on guard. It looked normal enough, average sized with light brown feathers, but its eyes, they shocked Suzume. The owl's eyes looked as if they held the galaxy within, and the look the owl gave her was almost as if it was appraising her. Before she could make a move, the owl was gone.

Suzume stayed tense, ready to jump into action is necessary, but nothing happened and a sweep of the area turned up nothing. After another tense few minutes of nothing, she relaxed. Once again, Suzume leaned her back against the trunk of the tree and turned her gaze to the sky. Though she knew it was useless, she let her eyes drift shut, hoping to at least get a few moments of rest before the nightmare began.


	3. Chapter 3

Suzume wouldn't call collecting intel particularly challenging, just unpleasant. Being a kunoichi gave her a way to collect information that her male counterparts couldn't, a way that's taught to all kunoichi when they enter the Academy, the art of seduction. Honestly, it wasn't even planned, not that time. When entering the village, Suzume planned on playing the part of an innocent young girl to collect information, but the minute she sensed chakra that couldn't belong to a civilian, she quickly aborted that plan Putting on a quick henge to make herself look a few years older, she approached the ninja and went to work.

That was how she found herself in her current situation; an Iwa nin lying on top of her, half-naked, and in the enemy base. It wasn't exactly according to plan, but Suzume was never one to shy away from an opportunity when it presented itself. Besides, she had sent the signal that backup was needed just in case.

She barely paid attention to the ninja on top of her, instead, making her plan of attack. Thing would be more difficult without Itachi there; she'd have to worry about any ninja trying to escape, but she didn't sense than many ninja within the base. There were seventeen to be exact and none of them had any alarming chakra signatures. Only one, who was probably the leader, than might take her more than a minute to dispose of.

The only real downside to her plan was that she knew Itachi would be furious with her. She quickly decided that was a problem for future Suzume.

Deciding to get it over with as fast as possible, Suzume captured the ninja's lips with her own to prevent a scream and plunged a kunai into his chest. He landed on top of her and she moved from beneath him quietly, laying his dead body on the ground.

She dropped her henge, back to a thirteen year old in her Anbu attire and donned her mask. Suzume pulled a small summoning scroll from her bra and without wasting time, harshly bit her thumb to draw the necessary blood. The second she dragged her thumb across the open scroll, the paper disappeared and cool metal was pressed into her palm.

Now Suzume was amazing at taijutsu, adept at ninjutsu, and was above average at genjutsu, but bukijutsu, she _excelled_ at bukijutsu. Put any weapon in her hands and she was scary, but put her specially crafted scythe into her hands and she became a monster. It was double bladed, measuring six feet in length, and each blade was three feet long and a foot wide at the base. The weapon itself was black as night, making it easier to be covert when sneaking up on an enemy.

Despite the fact that the weapon was a foot taller than her and her arms were rather short, Suzume manipulated it with ease. People could swear the weapon was an extension of her own body with how easily she wielded it.

Sending wind infused chakra through her body, Suzume was off. She had the element of surprise on her side, not to mention she was a master of the silent kill. Her kills were merciless, slicing through everyone she came across, not so much as blinking as her blades dripped with blood. When on mission she was no longer Suzume Namikaze, younger sister to Minato Namikaze, friend to Asuma Sarutobi, lover of ramen and the sky, no, she was Sparrow, the battle hardened Anbu. She was the ninja who made her first kill at six years old, who didn't let it faze her because the completion of the mission was more important.

The kills might not have affected her now, but they would, they always did. However, once again, that was a problem for future Suzume.

The building itself was two stories high. Suzume had been on the first floor with the ninja, and the large chakra signature was on the second floor. She wanted no time in making it to the second floor once the first floor was complete. It would only be a matter of time before the remaining ninja realized something was wrong, the eleven chakra signatures from downstairs were gone after all.

The man room upstairs was guarded by two ninja that Suzume had no problem disposing of. Knowing that the four ninja inside the room were no doubt aware of her presence by then she didn't bother with subtlety, instead choosing to blast into the room and take out the three weaker ninja before they even had a chance to attach.

"There have been rumors circulating of a ninja matching your description; a Konoha Anbu with a bird-like mask who wields a double-bladed scythe. Some people are trying to implement that if you're seen the mission is to be aborted." The remaining ninja commented easily and Suzume put her guard up. Despite what he had seen, the man was at ease which only meant one thing, either he was an overconfident fool, or Suzume underestimated him. She was hoping for former to be true. "It's rare to find such a blood-thirsty bead hidden in the leaves."

Not sending any traps, she launched herself at the man. He countered her blade with a hatana and no matter what maneuvers she used, she was unable to land a hit on him. That was when she felt the rise of his chakra signature.

He had his signature suppressed and because he was surrounded by weaker signatures, his slightly larger one seemed reasonable and she didn't dig further. A stupid mistake. Suzume thought, angry at herself for not being more careful. The level of his signature now easily matched that of a jonin, a much larger difference from his chuunin level one from before.

"Weren't expecting that were you?" The man taunted, a smirk on his face as their blades clashed again. "I expected more from you, this is disappointing."

Suzume internally smiled at his words. Was he more powerful than expected? Of course, but he was also being overconfident. He was assuming Suzume was fighting at her full power already, a deadly mistake.

Faster and with more strength than before,s he swung her scythe forward. The ninja moved to block, but the force of her swing was too much and his katana broke. Suzume saw the fear on his face, but didn't have time to dwell on it as she rotated her wrist and the second blade sliced him in half.

She didn't look at the bodies as she left the building.

…

Suzume could feel the anger radiating from the Uchiha as she appeared in front of her teammates only a few yards from the base, covered in blood.

"I cannot believe you." He said, his voice bordering on a growl.

"I had a chance, I took it." Suzume replied simply, not wanting to deal with Itachi rage, not at the moment.

Itachi didn't get mad often, he was the biggest pacifist Suzume had ever met, but when he did get angry it usually had something to do with her. Due to the Uchiha getting mad on only rare occasions, when he was mad, he was _furious_. At that point, after slaughtering seventeen inja, some younger than her, the last thing she wanted to do was argue with her teammate.

"It was reckless." Itachi hissed back, getting even angrier at Suzume's indifference. Kait stayed away from the two, having witnessed a fight between the two before and not wanting to get caught in the middle of it.

"What's reckless is you arguing with me in enemy territory. My actions were necessary. This is neither the time nor place to argue, and as the captain of this mission my order is for us to begin making out way back to village." Suzume knew this wasn't the end to their argument, but she also knew Itachi wouldn't fight after her pulling out the captain card. Besides, he knew she was right; the middle of a mission wasn't the place for an argument.

"Are you hurt Sparrow?" Kai asked timidly, approaching Suzume. If their team would be described in terms of a family dynamic, she would be the older sister, Itachi the protective younger brother, and Kai the baby. Ironic since he was actually older than his teammates. He was always cheerful and trying to make everyone smile, seeing his teammates fight put him on edge.

"I'm alright Rabbit." Suzume said kindly, already regretting letting Kai see her and Itachi fight.

The trip back to Konoha was silent. There was a palpable tension in the air and Kai was unfortunately stuck right in the middle of it. No one spoke unless giving a warning. Suzume couldn't help but be frustrated.

She had completely the mission with no complications; she couldn't understand why Itachi was so angry with her. Had it been reckless? Perhaps a little, but if there had been any real threats she would have regrouped with the team. She had given the signal that she needed backup, it wasn't her fault Itachi and Kai showed up when it was over. As it was, she had been perfectly capable of taking on the ninja herself. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Everyone was treating her like a child.

Back in the village the team reported back to the Hokage, Suzume giving a general rundown of the events and the three quickly went their separate ways. A more detailed report would be submitted by each member.

At home she quickly changed out of her bloody clothes and got herself clean up. Knowing that if she slowed down, gave herself time to think, to stir, to imagine, the faces of all those she killed would assault her. She left her apartment as fast as possible, finding herself at her brother's front door.

Without knowing per usual, Suzume waltzed into the house and her senses were immediately assaulted with the smell of food. She couldn't help but think she picked the perfect time to arrive. Her brother's wife was an _amazing_ cook, something Suzume took advantage of whenever possible.

"Suzume-chan!" Kushina squealed happily when she noticed the young girl. Suzume was crushed in a tight hug from her sister-in-law and couldn't help but laugh happily. This was exactly what she needed to keep her mind occupied.

The two girl's relationship started out a bit rocky at first. Suzume, still pretty young at the time, didn't want to share her 'dear older brother' with the 'scary tomato'. Eventually, they became as close as sisters, something they both relished in, Kushina having no family and Suzume having no female family.

"It's good to see you Kushina-nee!" Suzume responded happily, returning the bone breaking hug.

"You came just in time for dinner! I'm almost done the curry." Kushina said, dragging the girl to the dinner table and practically forcing her to sit, not that Suzume was complaining.

"I thought I heard a bird fly in." Minato said cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen, a smile on his face.

"You heard right." They chat happily for a few more minutes before the food was ready. Dinner at her brother's house was always fun. At some point either Suzume or Minato would make a teasing comment about Kushina's hair to which she would angrily yell at whoever said it and then Suzume would make a teasing comment about wanting to be an aunt which would have both Kushina and Minato blushing.

Suzume took a mental picture, knowing that soon they'd be at war, and happy times like that wouldn't be plentiful.


	4. Chapter 4

Despite the fact that she knew it was inevitable, when Suzume was informed that the Third Shinobi War had officially been declared, she wanted to vomit. It had been looming over her head for months now, ever missions she was sent on was a preventative measure in hopes that it wouldn't escalate to the point that it had. They were at _war_.

Not a lot managed to scare Suzume anymore, but war, that terrified her. War meant wartime measures, wartime measure meant shortened Academy time for ninja, it meant children being sent to the front lines, genin ninja who had never killed anyone would be sent straight into the fray. They would be on battlefield, they would be _dying_. War meant chaos. War meant death. And no one was safe.

"You shouldn't let you mind wander during a sparring match." Suzume didn't have time to react, maybe if it were a normal ninja she could have dodged, or blocked, or _something,_ but her brother's speed barely left her with time to think before his foot connected with her stomach. The impact sent her flying across the training ground and directly into one of the many surrounding trees, knocking the air straight from her lungs.

It was incredibly stupid not to keep her focus trained on her brother, she knew better.

"Ow." She groaned. Getting to her feet, she grimaced at the dull ache in her abdomen. There would definitely be a bruise.

"That was harsh Minato-sensei!" A female voice chided. Looking up, Suzume saw that two out of her brother's three students had arrived. Typical.

"I've had worse Rin-san." With a smile, she started making her way to the trio.

"You never chide Suzume when she hits me!" Minato protested.

"Maybe because she so rarely lands a hit on you Sensei." A deeper, uncaring voice commented.

"At least I can land a hit." Suzume shot back, meeting the dark grey eyes of Kakashi Hatake.

"Now, now you two, save it for the match." Minato said with a chuckle. Suzume and Kakashi got along as well as cats and dogs. From the moment the pair were introduced when Minato was first assigned his genin team the pair had butted heads, Kakashi almost immediately making a degrading mark to Suzume and the kunoichi responding by laying him out flat.

"Sorry I'm late! I was helping an old lady cross the street." Another voice exclaimed, crashing into the clearing.

The last of her brother's students to arrive, as always, was also Suzume's favorite. Obito Uchiha.

"Liar." Kakashi commented blandly. The tension in the clearing spiked. The feud between Kakashi and Suzue was trivial compared to the ongoing one between the Uchiha and Hatake. Though Suzume didn't particularly like the grey-haired ninja, it was at most a mild irritation. She wasn't around her brother's pupil enough for him to have any real effect on her. Anbu captains during wartime didn't have time for trivial matters such as disliking a comrade.

Though she didn't know the exact cause of Obito's growing resentment, Suzume could make a few educated guesses from observing the team's training. Jealousy played a factor for one; Uchiha's were supposed to be elite, the best of the best, and Obito had a habit of losing to Kakashi in training. They grey-haired ninja was simply better than him, he also had a legacy to live up to after all.

Suzume never knew Sakumo Hatake, but she'd heard the stories. The White Fang. However, she also heard the only story people seemed to really care about, the once in which he chose his comrades over the mission. A decision the girl hoped she was never faced with.

There was also Obito's not to subtle crush on Rin and Rin's not so subtle crush on Kakashi. That was a mess Suzume was glad to keep her nose out of.

"Shall we begin the sparring match? It's been so long, I'm eager to see how your little students have grown." Suzume said with a condescending smirk.

"Hey you're the youngest one here!" Obito shouted with indignation.

"Yet I'm higher ranked than you."

"Confident are we?" Minato chuckled causing Suzume to grin. Her brother was more powerful than her, she knew that. If he really wanted to he could lay her out flat, despite the fact that technically she was higher rank than him. The only reason she could boast being higher rank was because he never became a member of the Anbu black ops. She knows he must have been offered the position, but chose not to. It didn't surprise her.

Her brother was a full blown ninja, she knew that. He was a bundle of warmth, sunshine, and awkwardness around friends and family, but he was as lethal as a naked blade on the battlefield, she had witnessed it. But Anbu wasn't right for him. It changed people, made them darker, colder. Her brother didn't want that.

Without warning a kunai flew past Suzume's face. It would have hit her if she hadn't sensed it and jumped to the right.

"You're always so forward Kakashi-kun." She teased, her playful eyes meeting cold grey ones.

"I'm merely showing you how much I've grown like you wanted." He replied back and before she could make a smart remark he was upon her.

Kakashi was good. A prodigy. Could he match Suzume? Not quite. There was something Kakashi lacked, something that couldn't be taught. The intent to kill. When a ninja became so practiced in the art of killing, simply sparring was never an easy task. The kunoichi had to constantly be alert, to not react to her opponent as she normally in. In any match, Suzume was acutely aware every time there was an opening to kill. Kakashi presented so many. She wished she could turn off the part of her that saw those things. It wasn't pleasant knowing if she wanted she could kill him.

"Is this really the extent of your abilities? I'm disappointed." Suzume chimed, dodging another kunai.

"You really shouldn't tease him so much Suzu-chan." Minato called playfully from the edge of the training field with Rin and Obito, the three of them observing the fight.

The pair broke apart, Kakashi brandishing his tanto knife. With a look of glee Suzume grabbed the small scroll tucked away in her bra and bit her thumb, drawing the necessary blood. The minute the red liquid made contact with the scross, cool metal is pressed against her palm.

"Be careful you two!" Rin called from the sidelines, face scrunched in worry. It was in the pair's nature to take it a bit too far after all.

Kakashi made the first move, he always did. Suzume prefered to counter, it gave her a better chance to analyze her opponent. His tanto knife clashed against the double-bladed scythe. With the twirl of her wrist, the second blade cut through the air, aimed at Kakashi.

Another clang resonated through the clearing as metal hit metal. His speed had definitely increased. That was good.

Minato didn't ask her to spar against his students for the fun of it, Suzume knew that. They both knew there were certain things she could bring out in his students that he simply couldn't, especially the silver haired boy.

"Gotta be faster than that ojii-san." Suzume teased, dancing out of the way of Kakashi's knife once again.

He didn't respond, he usually didn't. Before the sparring he was quick to trade quips, but during he was too honed in.

Kakashi increased his speed, moving even faster than before, desperate to land a hit on the girl. Suzume noted it, impressed. The pair were merely a blur to the untrained eye at their current speed.

They continued at that pace for what felt like an hour before Minato intervened.

"That's enough for today, you're going to exhaust yourself Kakashi-kun." He said as Suzume sealed her scythe back into her scroll.

"My turn!" Obito exclaimed giddily, running into the middle of the clearing, but Suzume's attention was on the burning sensation on her left arm.

"Sorry Obito-san, I'll have to spar with you another day." She said with an apologetic grin, though it didn't reach her eyes. Minato placed a hand atop of her head as she discreetly tapped the seal twice in acknowledgement. Suzume met his eyes and forced a grin at the worry that was present.

Officially, Minato had no knowledge of Suzume being an Anbu. It was forbidden for anyone to know, save your team. However, her brother was a sealing master. When after weeks of being withdrawn and secretive, she came home with the Anbu seal, he felt the change immediately. He didn't talk to her for a week.

It wasn't something they were ever able to discuss openly, but Suzume knew he didn't approve. She was only putting herself in more danger. However, there was nothing he could do to stop her, so it was something he was forced to accept.

"I'll see you guys later!" Suzume chirped with fake enthusiasm and she was gone. Her first wartime mission awaited her.


	5. Chapter 5

Suzume's entire body ached. Her muscles screamed in protest at every movement, but she couldn't stop. To stop would mean to die.

The sounds of battle surrounded her. Blood stained her clothes, not her own, at least to her knowledge. So much adrenaline was pumping through her body that she was sure even if she was wounded she wouldn't be able to feel anything.

Her scythe sliced through another ninja clad in red and she blocked out the sound of their screams. Dodging a sharpened rock, she did a quick survey of the battlefield.

A plethora of ninja lay dead and dying. Some comrades, some enemies, Suzume had a hard time distinguishing which was which from the sheer mass of unmoving figures. Her eyes quickly flitted to Itachi and Kai.

They weren't in their Anbu blacks, something that made Suzume feel exposed. It was an order from the Hokage. He wanted people to know who they were, didn't want them hiding behind masks, it was a power move. Give your most powerful ninja a face. A team such as hers became a symbol that Konoha could triumph, that there were fearsome ninja hidden within the leaves.

Flashes of yellow darted at the edge of her vision, bodies of enemy ninja lying in the wake. There was her brother.

A group of Iwa nin descended upon her and she took a deep breath. She felt the pull, focused in on the kunai twelve feet to her right and before the ninja could blink, she was behind them. In the next moment , they too lay dead.

She might not have mastered Hiraishin, was far from even lighting the candle to hold to Minato, but even so, to the Iwa nin she was merely a shadow, one step behind her brother.

It was harder to kill so mercilessly without the barrier of a mask. When the mask was on she wasn't Suzume Namikaze anymore, she was just another Anbu. A killer. Without the mask she was Suzume Namikaze, a killer. The two people became one in the same.

"I think that was the last of them." An exhausted voice said from her right. In the next moment, a dozen more Iwa nin were upon them and she smiled grimly.

It was never the last of them.

…

They were gone for a month before being rotated out. A month of fighting a war, of being surrounded by nothing but death. Suzume didn't sleep once. The soldier pills kept them moving, but it wasn't enough and the crash was horrific.

They were losing.

Not her battalion in particular, but the others being sent. That much was clear.

Walking back through the gates of the village, bloodied and practically dead on her feet, she was greeted by a quiet village. People weren't chatting outside, children weren't playing in the street. This was war.

"Get rest while you can, we'll no doubt be called out again soon." Suzume said quietly to the ninja behind her. So few. They had left with two dozen and returned with almost a quarter of that.

Minato wasn't with them. Only because he arrived with the second wave, he hadn't been there as long as her group. Still, returning without him, leaving him on the front lines, even though Suzume knew he was capable of fending for himself, it did nothing to improve her mood.

Before anyone could say anything, she was gone.

She found herself atop the Hokage monument. Her whole body felt ready to collapse due to exhaustion. The soldier pills had helped, but the crash that inevitably followed them wasn't fun. Logically, she knew she should check herself into the hospital so her chakra exhaustion could be treated, but she didn't want to be trapped inside.

Someone had followed her. She didn't move as they took a seat next to her.

"This isn't resting." Itachi said, voice unchanging, but lines of exhaustion plaguing his face, blood and grime covering his body same as her.

"Neither is following me to pester me." Suzume countered, eyes focused on the clouds dotting the blue sky. It seemed wrong to have such nice weather when hundreds of people were out dying as they sat there. "I'm sorry for the other day."

She had been meaning to set things right with her comrade, but the war got in the way. It didn't sit right having Itachi mad at her.

"You-" He started before pausing, searching for the right word. "Are reckless. As your team, we are supposed to be able to rely on each other. When you go out and do things by yourself, if does not inspire trust or reliability. I have no doubt in your abilities, but I find myself wondering if you're going to stick to your own plan."

Ouch.

The words stung. Suzume's pride in particular took a blow, mostly because he was right. Everything he said was obvious once she was forced to hear it. She's supposed to be better than this. She was acting like a child. That was a hard pill to swallow.

"I wish I could say I one hundred percent won't act when the opportunity is presented, but I can say I'll work on it and I'll definitely keep what you said in mind. It was hard to hear, but I know you're right." She admitted with a sigh before sitting up. "Now, how about I treat you to some dango as a way of apology."

It was a bribe and they both knew it. Dango was Itachi's favorite treat, and Suzume was quick to buy him any when they quarreled. Itachi smiled the smallest bit and she knew all was forgiven.

"I think a shower and change of clothes is needed first."

Suzume grimaced, pointedly not looking at her bloodied and filthy attire. "I think you're right."

…

Sitting in the small cafe, a plate of dango in between them and each with a cup of green tea, everything seemed peaceful. It was easy to ignore the dark circles under their eyes, the exhaustion ingrained into their very bodies. Easy to ignore that they were at war.

"I can see how this is your favorite." Suzume commented, taking a bite of the sweet dumpling and savoring the burst of flavors in her mouth. Itachi didn't reply, opting to merely hum in response as he took a bite.

"How is everything?" The perky waitress asked, but she wasn't as perky as her demeanor suggested. Suzume noticed the haunted look in her eyes, her tense posture. The war effected everyone in the village, right down to the civilians.

"It's wonderful thank you." She smiled.

"Just let me know if you need anything." And the waitress was gone.

"Her child is enrolled in the Academy, she fears he'll be sent to the front lines." Suzume said, managing a sip of green tea before sighing. "She's probably right."

It hadn't come to it yet. She hadn't seen the small bodies on the battlefield, but the way the war was progressing, it wouldn't be long.

"I'm glad I don't have a child. I couldn't imagine being a parent in this day and age."

"We are children." Itachi replied simply, setting down the half eaten dango and his dark eyes meeting her.

"We're not though. Not really. We haven't been children for a very long time." Age wise, they were considered children. If they were civilians they would very much still be children. But they weren't civilians. Ninja years were different, it was like dog years. For every one year a civilian lived, it equated seven to a ninja.

It was why Suzume and Itachi were allowed in bars, why they were treated as equals to those twice their age. They weren't expected to live past twenty, much less make it to the legal drinking age. You couldn't send someone into war and not let them drink alcohol should they wish, it was an unspoken rule.

"You know, your cousin Obito has really improved." Suzume said, quickly changing the depressing subject. "He became chuunin recently. It's funny, the two of you seem to be polar opposites when it comes to personality. He's so loud and reckless while you're quiet and careful."

"Hn, just because we're cousins doesn't mean we have to be alike." Itachi pointed out, finishing his cup of tea and folding his hands.

"I know. Funnily enough, you've both seem to grown on me quite a bit. Obito's my favorite of my brother's team, though Rin is a close second."

"Not fond of Kakashi?" He asked with an amused smile and Suzume's face scrunched up in disdain.

"He's so arrogant. I just want to knock him on his ass everytime I see him." She vented, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "I can empathize with him, but he's just so frustrating. It doesn't help that he's actually _good_ either. He'll no doubt become jounin soon, and though I'd never admit it to him, I'm impressed."

The two sat there for a little while longer, Suzume chattering on about anything and everything while Itachi was content to sit in silence, only answering when prompted. It was how most of their outings went.

"You two are such a cute couple." The waitress from before commented as she handed Suzume her change, and the girl was so startled by the comment she almost dropped it.

"Wh-," She started, wide eyed as a blush tinted her face. "You're mistaken, we're just friends."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I just thought, the way he was looking at you, oh dear, me and my big mouth. I'm sorry." The waitress stammered, equally as flustered at the mistake.

"It's okay." Itachi said easily, getting to his feet. "Thank you for service, have a good night."

Still flustered, Suzume got to her feet and followed Itachi out of the door.

"That surprised me." She confessed with a laugh, feeling more embarrassed about her overreaction than anything. She was a kunoichi for god's sake, she could play the part of a seductress without blinking, but one waitress mistook her and Itachi for a couple and she was a mess. "Which I guess it shouldn't considering we are around the same age and I can see how that looked like a date, but still, you shouldn't just assume something like that yanno?"

Itachi didn't reply and they walked in silence until they arrived at her apartment complex.

"Promise me you'll get some actual rest tonight. You're practically dead on your feet, your chakra stores need to be replenished and they do so faster when you're asleep." Itachi said, ever the protective one.

"I can promise you I'll try." She said, looking up at him to meet his eyes.

Itachi sighed, the sound bordering on frustration. "I guess that's all I can really ask of you."

"See you later, well, probably sooner rather than later." Suzume said with a bright smile before turning and strolling into the complex.

Her shoulders drooped the minute she was in the privacy of her own home and she kicked of her shoes and stripped off her clothes. She collapsed onto her bed and felt the fatigue gnawing at the back of her mind. Sleep couldn't be evaded tonight, it was obvious.

With a heavy heart, she closed her eyes and felt the dark tendrils of sleep grab her, dragging her down into her own personal hell.

 **A/N: OKAY. SO. This story isn't abandoned, surprise. Also, I did some rewriting on the previous chapters so if it suites your fancy, it would do good for you to reread. Nothing crazy was changed so you don't have to reread if you really don't want to. Anyways, let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

_War does not determine who is right - only who is left._

 _~Bertrand Russell_

A small shock to the tip of Suzume's index finger woke her with a jolt. She instinctively jumped from her bed, adrenaline pumping through her veins and the cool metal of the kunai she kept underneath her pillow pressed into her palm. Her muscles were tensed to spring at a moment's notice.

It wasn't until she felt the approaching chakra signature that she relaxed. Placing the kunai on her nightstand, she ran a hand through her unruly bedhead before slouching to her front door and deactivating the traps she had set.

Before the person could knock, she opened the door, looking up at the person who dared trip her alarm system.

"Good morning Suzume-chan!" Kushina chirped happily, a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. Suzume couldn't imagine how hard their current situation was on the red-haired woman. Her and her brother were being sent to the front lines, risking their lives, and Kushina had to stay safe and sound in the village.

Understandably, the Hokage didn't want her on the battlefield. She was a powerful shinobi, her mastery of seals was nothing to laugh at, but she was also the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox. A piece of information that officially, she didn't know, but realistically, couldn't be kept from her.

"Is it morning already?" Suzume replied with a yawn, opening the door to let her sister-in-law in. "What day is it?"

"Monday."

Ah. Of course. Suzume had returned on Saturday. Because she slept so rarely, when she reached the height of exhaustion, where it was physically impossible for her to go without sleep, she slept for multiple days. She was actually surprised she hadn't slept longer. If Kushina hadn't woken her, she probably would have.

"Suzume-chan," Kushina started seriously, surveying her tiny apartment. "This place is filthy!"

The sudden exclamation caused her to flinch, coming down from the adrenaline rush she had from earlier. She knew the woman was right, clothes, weapons, and scrolls covered the floor. Dirty dishes were in the sink, takeout boxes littered her table and countertops.

She just didn't have time to clean. There were so many important things to be done. Not to mention that she was never home in the first place, and any time she was home was spent resting. It was rare for her to have visitors, so there was no point.

"Sorry?" She replied with a shrug, only succeeding to infuriate Kushina more.

"This is unacceptable! You can't live like this!" Technically she could, she had been. However, Suzume wasn't stupid enough to voice that opinion aloud to her already irate companion. She had been on the wrong side of Kushina's anger a few times and knew it was smarter to not 'poke the bear' so to say. "That's it! We're cleaning your apartment today. I can't leave here knowing you're living like this."

Suzume blinked once. Then twice. What.

"Kushi-"

"I don't want to hear it!" The redhead interjected, successfully cutting off Suzume's whine. "We're doing this whether you like it or not!"

All Suzume could do was groan and collapse on the couch in protest. She loved her brother's wife, but her bullheadedness was unshakeable. Suzume's apartment was getting cleaned, that much was certain.

…

Three hours. Three hours of hard labor. Three hours of sorting through scrolls, weapons, and clothes; in which they pointedly ignored how covered in blood everything was. Three hours of scrubbing lifeforms off of dishes. Three hours of throwing away two garbage bags full of takeout boxes.

Suzume had been on S-class missions easier than cleaning her apartment.

"Whew!" Kushina said triumphantly, hands on her hips as she surveyed the living area and kitchen. "Now doesn't that look better."

She couldn't deny that it was definitely better than before, and the way some of the tension relaxed from her sister-in-laws shoulders made it all worth it. Suzume was surprised Kushina waited as long as she did to visit, but she also knew that she was probably giving her time to rest.

Cleaning her apartment gave her friend a purpose, something she could do to help someone she cared about. Suzume and her brother were out fighting a war, but at least Kushina could make sure she came home to a clean apartment.

"Wanna grab lunch?" Suzume suggested and Kushina's eyes lit up. She really needed to spend more time with her. "We could go to Ichiraku's."

…

With a full stomach, Suzume placed her chopsticks in the empty bowl and sighed contently. The weather was nice, her stomach was full, and she was spending time with someone she loved. All should have been well, but the tension in her shoulders and the way her hand brushed against her kunai pouch at every noise reminded her that it wasn't.

"Wanna spar?" She suggested. Now that she was awake, she didn't want to go back to her apartment. She had to keep herself occupied, keep herself moving. Couldn't let her thoughts catch up with her.

"You should be resting Suzume-chan, sparring isn't resting." Kushina said with a sigh. However, Suzume knew Kushina was itching to spar. It was obvious in the way her muscles were tensed to spring, the way her hand gravitated to her kunai pouch. She was restless, Suzume couldn't blame her.

"I've rested enough Kushina-nee, either I'll spar with you or go hunt down Asuma or Itachi." She pointed out, side eyeing her friend. The internal struggle played across her face, Kushina was never the best at hiding her emotions. On one hand, Kushina wanted to spar, it was written all over her face. On the other hand, she knew Suzume was sent home specially to rest before being sent back to the front lines. However, she also knew that Suzume was going to spar no matter what, whether it be with Kushina or with someone else was entirely up to her.

"Okay, but only light sparring." She finally conceded and Suzume outright laughed.

"Kushina-nee, you should know by now that there is no such thing as 'light sparring' when it comes to either of us."

…

Sweat dripped down Suzume's face as she backflipped out of the way Kushina's reach. The kunai managed to knick her cheek and she grit her teeth in frustration as a line of blood dripped down her face. Sloppy.

Her eyes swept across the training field, searching for options. Her kunai littered the ground and stretched into the forest just in case. The problem with trying to use Hiraishin when fighting Kushina was that she knew the technique inside and out. She was the one who taught Minato about seals, who gave him the information he needed to create it. Though she wasn't proficient enough in the technique to use it in battle, she knew how to read the technique. She also knew how to read Suzume.

It was why sparring with a friend was always hard. They knew your tricks, your techniques, how to read your movements. Kushina sometimes knew what Suzume was going to do before she knew, but it also worked vice versa.

The sparring match was hard for her. Kushina was an adept kunoichi, she was a jounin, a strong one. Normally, Suzume would have her scythe in her hand, but she was trying to spar without it. She realized she was too dependent on it, she didn't want it to be a crutch, it was something she had to learn to fight without. They were at war and Suzume needed every advantage she could get.

Water bullets aimed at Suzume missed her by less than a second as she felt the familiar pull and she was across the battlefield. Concentrating chakra in her hands she felt the wind solidify and she launched the wind blades at Kushina who jumped out of the way. Suzume quickly built the chakra in her stomach, taking a deep breath before feeling the heat creep up her throat.

Fire spewed from her mouth, directly at her sister-in-law. Water flowed right back at her and Suzume cut the technique, dodging out of the way of the giant wave. Maybe she should learn not to spar with Kushina so close to a lake.

Under the cover of the wave, Suzume launched herself at Kushina. The redhead met her head on and they exchanged blows. Taijutsu wasn't Kushina's strong point, but that didn't mean she wasn't capable. It was in her best interest to keep Suzume at a distance though. Kushina was more of a long-ranged fighter, focusing on ninjutsu, while Suzume was a close-ranged fighter.

As they sparred, her hand itched to have her scythe. It was like phantom limb syndrome, she would begin to react to the situation as if it were there before having to redirect herself. It was annoying.

The spar eventually ended, Kushina being the one to put a halt to it. There was no clear victor, there never really was.

Suzume's shoulders were still tense. Her hands still itched. It wasn't enough, she could still keep going, she needed to keep going.

"Suzume-chan?" Kushina asked softly, the concern in her voice snapping Suzume to attention. It was then that she noticed her hands were shaking.

"I'm fine." She replied harshly, too harshly. Her hands were still shaking.

"No," Kushina said carefully, walking towards her, nonthreatening, hands raised and every step noticeable. "You're not."

She was right. Suzume wasn't fine. It was pretty damn obvious that she wasn't fine, but she couldn't afford to not be. It wasn't the time for her to be anything other than battle capable.

Kushina placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and Suzume's entire body went still before she relaxed under the touch.

"You can talk to me Suzume-chan." Kushina reminded gently and Suzume sighed.

"I know Kushina-nee. Thank you." Despite her sister-in-law's concern, Suzume just...couldn't. It wasn't something she wanted to talk about. Wasn't something she could put into words even if she wanted to.

The war was affecting her, that was to be expected. She couldn't be surrounded by so much death and horror expecting to walk away scot free, that was naive. She hadn't expected to get stuck in the battlefield mindset though. Before, she had always been able to turn it off. Sure she was as paranoid as any ninja, but being in the village, being with her friends gave her comfort, a chance to relax.

That wasn't there anymore. She was in the village, with someone she trusted, yet she couldn't relax. She was keyed up but couldn't do anything about it. All she could do was wait until she was sent out again.

It was going to be a long few days.

 **A/N: Okay, for those of you who didn't notice I kinda revamped the story and did some rewriting/editing in the previous chapters. I think it reads better and I'm happier with it as a whole. I'll be going back to add quotes/lyrics to the previous chapters eventually. Hope you all enjoyed, love you, let me know what you think.**


End file.
